September ’19 News

I hope summer turned out really well for you. Mine was mostly lovely, though it got a little crazy at times, mainly because my husband and I left our home of nearly 25 years on the east side of Manhattan and moved across town.

Though we’re crazy about our new place, the transition was tough at moments. You see, I loved my old home, too. One night, shortly after our move, something kind of magical happened. I realized to my delight that the moon crosses the sky outside my new living room window, and I’ll be able to watch its journey every night when it’s visible. This little experience made me appreciate my new apartment even more, and fully accept the change.

Don’t you get a kick out of it when nature gives you a sign? I’d love to hear any that happened in your own life.

Somehow during my move, I managed to finish my next standalone, a psychological thriller called HAVE YOU SEEN ME?, which will be out next April. I found writing this particular book so exciting, and I can’t wait to tell you more about it in the coming months. And show you the cover!

Though it’s been a few months since my last book (SUCH A PERFECT WIFE) was released, things are still percolating on that front. Some highlights:

—Entertainment Weekly listed Such a Perfect Wife as a perfect choice if you are suffering from withdrawal after the second season of “Big Little Lies.”

–The amazing suspense author Alafair Burke included Such a Perfect Wife in a round-up of her favorite summer books. (“The small town secrets, fresh characters, and old school detection will make you wish everything went down as smooth as a Kate White mystery.”)

–And unbelievably, one day I answered my cell phone and it was President Bill Clinton calling to say he’d read the book and really liked it.

Just order by clicking one of the buttons below. Entertainment Weekly called it “deep and dark and twisty, and packed with a delicious array of questionable characters, each harboring their own secrets.”

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Keeping Faith
Acorn TV

This Wales-based thriller had me hooked within the first 15 minutes of watching it. Faith, a spirited, life-embracing attorney, is on maternity leave for her third child when her husband disappears without a trace. She must not only take care of her three kids, fight for the survival of her nearly bankrupt firm, fend off inquiries by an unjustifiably hostile police detective, but also try to find the man she loves, who may have done something very, very dangerous.

The Stranger Inside
By Lisa Unger

Full disclosure: Author Lisa Unger is a friend of mine. But man, I sincerely adored this latest thriller of hers. It’s about new mother and temporarily retired reporter who decides to investigate and report on a series of crimes that might be related to a horrible crime she was the victim of as a child. It’s a heart-pounding story. And what’s more: Lisa is also an awesomely gifted wordsmith so you savor every line.

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I’m an avid cook because I love homemade dishes, but unfortunately, I tend to be a nervous Nellie in the kitchen. Cooking often become stressful for me, which means I fail to fully enjoy either the process or the end results. Trust me, you DON’T ever want to come into my kitchen and behold me in action.

One of my birthday goals this year (September 3) was to cook more simply, with fewer layers and fuss, which I’m pretty sure will reduce the stress and increase the enjoyment. Recently I’ve had inspiration on this front from a wonderful new restaurant in Milford, NJ, near our weekend home in PA. It’s called Canal House Station. Chefs Christopher Hirsheimer and Melissa Hamilton, authors of Cook Something: Recipes to Rely On, serve simple but extraordinary dishes relying on the best seasonal ingredients.

So I started practicing a couple of weeks ago in celebration of the waning days of summer, rejecting anything that seemed too complicated. One of my favorite low-stress dishes, perfect for this time of year, is South American chef Francis Mallmann’s torn figs served with mozzarella (I used burrata since I had it handy) along with thyme, almonds, and olive oil. Simple but heavenly. Do try it while there are still figs available.